Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

¹⁸ So David fled and escaped, and went to ^(A)Samuel at ^(B)Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. ¹⁹ Now it was told Saul, saying, “Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!” ²⁰ Then ^(C)Saul sent messengers to take David. ^(D)And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also ^(E)prophesied. ²¹ And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. ²² Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, “Where are Samuel and David?”

And someone said, “Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then ^(F)the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ^24 (G)And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down ^(H)naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ^(I)“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

The Corinthians’ Repentance

² Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, ^(A)we have cheated no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn; for ^(B)I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ^4 (C)Great is my boldness of speech toward you, ^(D)great is my boasting on your behalf. ^(E)I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵ For indeed, ^(F)when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^(G)we were troubled on every side. ^(H)Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. ⁶ Nevertheless ^(I)God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^(J)the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the ^[a]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁸ For even if I made you ^(K)sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; ^(L)though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For ^(M)godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; ^(N)but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what ^(O)clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be ^(P)clear in this matter. ¹² Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, ^(Q)but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

The Joy of Titus

¹³ Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(R)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵ And his affections are greater for you as he remembers ^(S)the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶ Therefore I rejoice that ^(T)I have confidence in you in everything.